Traction-wheel.



A. CARPENTER.

TRACHON WHEEL.

APPLlcAloN min APR. a. 1911.

1,27 6,17 3. .Patented Aug. 20,11%

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A. CARPENTER.

y TRAcxoN WHEEL.

APPLICATION FIL'ED APR. 5. HH?.

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A. cARPENER.

THACTION WHEEL.

'APPLICATION men APR. 5, |911.

Patented Aug. 20,1918

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UNITI-31) STATES ParENT OFFICE.,

ALEXANDER CARPENTER, or CAREY, oIIIo, AssrGN'oR To NATIONAL TRACToRa PLCW l i COMPANY, or CAREY, CHIC, A CORPORATION or oI-IIo.

TRAC'IIoNwIiEEI.l

Speieation of Letters Patent. Patented AugLI-ZO, 192181 Application led April 5, 1917. Serial No. 159,889.

To all whom t may cncem:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER CARPEN- TER, a citizen of the United States, residingl at Carey, in the county of fyandot and State of Ohio, have `invented a. certain new and useful Improvementin Traction lillieels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in traction wheels, and has for one object to provide a new and improved form of traction wheel for motor vehicles and the like. One of the objects of -my invention is to provide a wheel which will be light, durable, easily and conveniently made, and which will be easily and conveniently cleaned. Another object is to provide a wheel which does not sink deeply into loose and muddy soil, and which does not carry dirt with it. Another object is to provide a wheel which will have a minimum resistance to rotation when mired in. Another object is to provide a removable non-skid device for such a wheel,

whereby the wheel may be used for improved roads, or provided with a .non-*skid device for slippery, muddy conditions. Other ob- Jects will appear from time to time in the specification.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatic'ally in the accompanying drawings, whereinn Figure l shows a side elevation of. kmy wheel, parts in section and parts omitted with one form of nonskid device applied thereto; i

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the wheel only, one side of the wheel having the nonskid device, the other having it removed;

Fig. 3 shows a. section through my wheel and illustrates the non-skid device applied thereto;

Fig. 4t shows a section through a. built up wheel embodying my invention;

Fig. 5 shows a side elevation showing a diierent form of non-skid device; i Fig. 6 is a plan of a portion of Fig. 5.

"Eike parts are indicated by 'like letters 1n all the figures.

A is a. vehicle aXle. Upon itis rotatably mounted a vehicle hub A1. This hub takes the 'form of a sleeve and is provided at one end with an integral flange A2 and at thc other end a larger -flange A3, upon which in the-preierred form is provided a gear A4. A5 is merely -a iiange to coperatie `with the dust guard not here shown or illlis-A t-rated.

The wheel proper. which is mounted on 'i the hub just described consists of two annu-` v lar flat metallic plates B,r B1. They are bolted respectively to the iianges A2, A3 and are provided with hand holes B2 whereby the operator may have access to the interior of the wheel if that be necessary. The hand -holes are closed by covers B.3 which covers are rotatably mounted on-pins B* and have handles B5 adapted to engage snap 'spring fingers BG on the plate so that the hand hole covers may be yieldingly held in the closed position to prevent the entrance of foreign matter into the interior of the drum forming n the wheel. 5

C is the tread of the wheel. It is 'an annular ring flanged on both .sides as att-'C15 I' C2, and these iianges aie riveted to the outer peripheries of the plates B, B1. It will'be noted that the central portionof the drum is slightly higher than the outer side'syso.;

that even 'if lthe rib CS were omitted, the

pressure on the outer edges of the tread surface would be when on a hard road slightly less than at the center, thus making steering eas eca i e e w ee ca urn easier. e

b is th hl nt Th flangefor rib/C3 extends about' the periphery of the wheel: and divides it into two separate zones, and when on a very hard roadv it It furnishes the sole supporting surface.

also prevents side slipping orskidding 'off' the device. This tread member is provided with a series of'staggered rectangular perforations C4, though it will .be obvious that these perforations might' be -roundor any othertshape suiting the fancy of thecon? structor.

The non-skid device is made up ofl a series of wedge-shaped blocks D, preferably of cast iron. They extend substantially across half the width of the tread surface of Y the wheel, and are riveted to a spring band through which pass a holding bolt D, coper-n 'v ating with a mit D7 so that the Iband may be drawn tight up on the wheel. At certain points about the periphery ofthe band are provided rivet heads DS. These rivet heads are llarge and .not cut off so that they may A engage the perforations C4 in the periphery 4of the wheel, and so cooperate one with antending collar E2, flanged as at E3 to en gage side plates E4. E is a central similar side. plate. These three side plates coperate `with two tread ring members E, `l so that when the parts are riveted together and bolted to the hub a single broad wheel is formed having substantially twice the width of the wheel shown in Fig. 3. This merely .illustrates one way in whic-h broad wheels can be put together. It will be obvious that two Wheels like Fig. 8 might be putside by side and if this were done, the bolts and rivets might or might not be passed clear through, or the wheels might be held together merely by a single hub or by bolting the hubs together, or by drawing the hub together by means of'nuts screw-threaded on the axle shaft. Infother words, one of thesev sections or two ofthem or more may be assembled as shown or in any obvious way for the purpose of providing an increased width of wheel when that becomes desirable.

l will now describe the preferred form of noirskid device. It is made up of a series of yseparate wedge-shaped grouters or gripping members G, G. These members have extended flanges G1 on either side thereof and extend in width substantially across one half the tread'surface of the wheel. They rest upon thin metal supporting plates or strips G2, being held in position by rivets G3 passing through such strips and through the flanges G1. These strips are bent back at. either end to provide hooks G4, G", which hooks are joined together in opposition one to another by links G5, the parts being so arranged that they all conform snuglyv to the contour of the wheel. Occasional rivets are provided on the inside With enlarged heads G6 adapted to engage the perforations C4 in the tread of the wheel, and by linking these parts together as indicated, a single continuouschain is formed, and this chain infolds the wheel. chain the sections G are dispensed with and two segmental parts G7, G7 are provided. They are each at the end of two short plate sections G8, G8, and are apertured and pro.-

vided with lugs G9, G9 through whichpass'a `v holding bolt G` with nut G, whereby the At the two ends of the` bev removable.

chain may be tightened on the wheel to hold it in position, it being held against movement either around the wheel or across the face by the enlarged rivet heads which engage the perforation vin the tread.

It will be evident that while I have shown in my drawings an operative device, still many changes might be made both in size, shape and arrangement of parts without departing materially from the spirit of my invention. I wish, therefore, that my drawings be regarded as in a sense diagrammatic. The use and operation of my invention are as follows y The tractor wheel which I have provided may be used for a drive wheel for a traction engine, or it may be used for a trailer wheel, or it may be used for any `other purpose 'where a traction wheel is desirable. lt is of course of a rigid, heavy, durable type used in connection with very heavy wagons or trucks or more preferably with farm tractors and the like.

Such tractors, of course, are likely t0 sink in to a soft soil, and when they do the soft soil, mud and the like, will flow in around the edge of the wheel, if it is a flat, ordinary type of wheel, and will tend to make it diilicult to turn the wheel. My drum structure provides what is in effect afloat, and when the wheel sinks in it displacesa certain amount of the road or supporting surface, and thereby exerts energy to lift it up. This of course is but very slight, but it is sufficient, in connection with the smooth side of the wheel, to prevent miring in of my wheel where an ordinary flat wheel would be mired in. s'

The wheel is built up as indicated'outof two flat annular plates tied together by a hub and supporting between their peripheries a rolled tread plate which is of greater diameter atits center than at its edges, so as to make a wheel substantially the shape `of the ordinary belt pulley, which of course being deeper at the center tread is easier" turned than it would be were it flat. The lianges on the rolled tread portion' are rolled in and riveted to the side plate so as to make a rigid, durable structure. The central rib rolled in the tread plates divides the 'tread .surface into full zones, and providesathin line contact for use on a hard road, sucn as macadam, gravel, storie or the like. i

' The perforations arranged occasionally about the periphery of the Wheel, of course,

are so small, that 'little if any of the road material gets in and any that .does get in will have an ample chance to work itsway out through them again. These perforations are provided for the purpose of anchoring the non-skid device.

The non-skid 'device may take a number of different forms. It is necessary that it Itis 4necessary that it be 'l Aio lace 'it-sometimes travelsiover a road where-v it must have a non-skididevice and again 5 travels over a road Wherethe law will notv allow it to have it.;v

vided is held on the periphery ofthe wheel by the tension in itand this tension is developed by the nutV and bolt arrangement at the end of the chain. The chain may be taken off and dropped in the tool box by -merely releasing thebolt so as to permit the end to swing away to freethe enlarged 15 hese tread members engage the ground or n there is any pulling tendency on them, Ahere is Aa tendency `for them to rotate however, and since the tension in the chain is great, they cannotdo this and so they sink 'into the ground and accomplish their purpose. a l

In a modiie'd 'form a 'spring ring is prov vided and the cleats or grouters are riveted 'directly to the spring ring. lfn this case two segments are used and these two sections are bolted together and tightened. V9,0 "The strength of the spring ring itself in this case coperates with the tension in the ring to prevent tipping over 1 of the grouteis, though it must be borne in mind that owing t'o their broadbase the tendency to tip is but slight.

I claim: l. The combination with a vehicle wheel of a non-skid device comprising a flat flexible ring adapted to surround the wheel, grouters rigidly mounted on the ring, means for tightening the ring, comprising a. segmental grouter at each end of the ring and means for drawing the two parts of such grouter together to tighten the ring, the outer extremities 0f the two grouter parts `The non-Skid chain which I proitivet heads from their engagement-with the' .holes in the periphery of the tread. When around their base. Since the base is broad,l

being adapted to-engage one another when the ring is tight. I

2. rihe combination with a, vehicle wheel of a non-skid device comprising a dat iiexible ring adapted to surround the wheel, grouters rigidly mounted on the ring, means for tightening the ring, and means for pre venting movement of the ring with respect s.' l. ad

to the Wheel comprising ings beneath the q grouters rigidly mounted en the ring adaptn ed to penetrate the tread surface of the Wheel, the. tread ot the wheel having pertev rations of the same shape as the said lugs and loosely engaging them.

3. A nonskid device for traction wheels comprising alexible ring adapted to sur round the wheel., grouters mounted on the ring and means for holding tlieriiig in position' on the wheel. the ring being n'iade up of a series of separate thin base link niembeis, open links connecting themv the grouters being' connected to the base members and not to the open iinis.

titi

A non-skid device ior traction Vwheels comprising a Heriibie ring` adapted to snr round the wheel, groiiters mounted on the rin and means for holding the iiiggo in position on the wheel7 the' ring being made iip of a series ot separate thin hase liiil: members, open links connecting them.l` the gi'outers being connected to the hase inem-- bers and not to the open links, the means for holding the ring against movement with respect to the wheel con'ipiising` lugs projecting downwardly from said giouters through said hase members and penetrating the wheel.

In testimony whereof7 l aiiix my signature in the presence ot tivo witnesses this 23rd day of March, 1917.

Witnesses:

GEO. J. NEWHARD,

C. G. SPENCER. 

